Tag Archives: romaine

It’s been a very long while since I picked up my camera and even thought of logging onto my food blog. It’s not because I’ve lost my passion for cooking, or that I’ve burned out or that I’m the laziest person that I know… It’s just that my day job has completely devoured my personal life for over a year and I can now say that it’s finally starting to wind down. I look forward to regularly getting back into my kitchen and creating healthy (and sometimes not so healthy but totally worth it) home cooked dishes for my family and friends. I also look forward to catching up on what’s been happening at all my favorite food blogs. And with all that said, I’m happy to say that I am thrilled to be back.

Even though I have been busy all year, I still found time to tuck some fresh herbs and flowers in my garden earlier this spring. This season I’ve added a variety of herbs including curled parsley and nasturtiums. The nasturtiums are from seeds that I gathered last fall and the parsley was from starts that I found down at the Grange. I prefer to grow my own herbs. First of all, I know that they are grown organically (I know, because I refuse to use sprays or pesticides), and second, it saves me a bunch of money. Oh, and third, you can’t get any fresher herbs than hand picked straight from the garden.

Nasturtiums are edible annual flowers that I love to add to salads for bright cheerful color and a peppery flavor. They also make gorgeous garnishes on appetizer trays and desserts. They are easy to grow and require very little attention.

Today I want to share with you a simple delicious Shredded Romaine Salad with a tangy Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette. Green salads are an every day part of my family’s diet and this green salad is now one of my new favorites. This salad is super easy to make, bright in flavor and can be served alongside a variety of dishes. This salad was inspired by a salad served at one of my favorite restaurants, the Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, Oregon and the Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette recipe was adapted from Epicurius. Serves 4. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 large head romaine lettuce

handful fresh picked parsley (washed and minced)

several fresh nasturtium blossoms (washed and lightly chopped)

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

salt and pepper to taste

Begin by washing and drying the romaine lettuce. With a sharp knife, cut the romaine lettuce into thin strips. Loosely toss and place onto salad plates (about two cups of lettuce per plate) and garnish with minced parsley and nasturtium blossoms. Lightly drizzle with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Zest of a large lemon

Juice of a large lemon

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup water

1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp white pepper (or to taste)

1/4 cup minced parsley

Whisk all ingredients together and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.